Pirate Articles

[Coastie04]

I was loitering in the Coast Guard Academy museum last week while my room was being painted, and came across an interesting article in a newspaper from 1841. In an article discussing the capture of a pirate off New Orleans, it describes the flag flown and prints the articles in their entirity (except for the names of the signatories, unfortunately). Unfortunately, half of the Articles were obstructed by another newspaper, but just today I asked the curator if there was a way I could copy down the rest of the article. The suction cups and other tools were gathered to open up the case. The library (only a 50'-70' room) is usually deserted, and they left me there in front of this open case and went back to the office area. I copied the rest of the article (I'll get to it, but the rest of this story is interesting as well), and then drooled over the other things in this display case. There was an 18th century cutlass, a model 1841 cutlass, and a model 1860 cutlass, two sea service pistols (one brass-barrel flintlock: the standard 1756 pattern, the other a steel-barrel caplock: the 1756 pattern's replaceemnt). Furthermore, there was Hopley Yeaton's rifle (all 6-7 feet of it) and one of his uniforms. Damn my honor and integrity! Damn whoever invented fingerprint identification!

On to the meaty stuff...

From the Salem Register, June 17th 1841:

The description said that the flag was "a blue field with death's head and marrow bones in white, in the center."

The articles stated "We, the undersigned, being the children of nature, have lawfully and wholly as much right to enjoy her in all her stores, as any who is of woman born; but being deprived of all these blessings by the artful design of those who possess in more than superabundance the stores that were intended for all,m we are compelled to come forward, protest against all the world, and thus obtain our rights. From this day we declare war upon the world, and with the same treatment as her children would use us now, were we in their possession, we will use them; as no quarters are offered us, none can be expected. We do, and have formed a constitution this day, for the better regulation of ourselves, knowing it to be for our mutual benefit, and as order and safety be concerned, we are bound to ourselves and to one another. Our tie is cemented wiht blood, and nothing less than blood will propoitiate and atone for any of us who act contrary to our laws. Death being the warrent knell of all those who in times of action shall, through cowardice, negligence, or disaffection, hield, cause others to yield, or cry for quarters."

Coastie

[HarborMaster]

I like it !

[Captain_MacNamara]

WOW

[Fox]

Ah, more flags!! THANKYOU!!!

Erm, out of interest, what were the pirates called?

[Coastie04]

what were the pirates called?

They were not named in the article I read. They were just reported by a fisherman and intercepted by the local authorities (can't remember off the top of my head who intercepted them, but it wasn't the Revenue Cutter Service; I think it was a state-run coastal defense/police force). All it said about them was that they caught a pirate schooner. Apparently they had recently turned to piracy and may not have even committed any acts of piracy when caught. Unfortunately, there were no names given. Maybe I'll go back and copy the rest of the article some time today and post it here in a few days. We'll see.

Coastie

[corsair2k3]

All things considered, this probably the most amazing news report on piracy that I've ever read!

[And that is saying something]

While my first thought screams "Newpaper Hoax!", it would not be impossible to verify the incident and obtain "the rest of the story" (and start tracing the crew so see who the hell had been reading-up on the French Revolution).

And, having, done that, it would not be hard for you to parlay this into an article for a research publication.

Congratulations on your find!

[And thanks for making my day!]

The Corsair

www.whydah.com